U.S. Department of State 2002 Trafficking in Persons Report - Guatemala
| Publisher | United States Department of State |
| Author | Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons |
| Publication Date | 5 June 2002 |
| Cite as | United States Department of State, U.S. Department of State 2002 Trafficking in Persons Report - Guatemala, 5 June 2002, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/4680d799c.html [accessed 6 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Guatemala (Tier 2)
Guatemala is a source and transit country of women and children trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation. There is also internal trafficking and in some cases, Guatemala is a destination country for trafficked victims. Illegal migration – including both trafficking in persons and migrant smuggling – of Central Americans, Ecuadorians, Asians and Middle Easterners flows through Guatemala en route to Mexico and the United States.
The government does not yet fully meet the minimum standards; however, it is making significant efforts to do so, despite resource constraints. An anti-trafficking in persons law exists, but there have been no arrests, investigations are rare, and victims rarely press charges, in part because of a somewhat inaccessible and corrupt judicial system. Medical, psychological, and counseling services are available to crime victims including trafficking victims. Trafficking victims are protected to a certain extent as they are not prosecuted, but foreign victims in the country illegally are deported. In terms of prevention, the government developed a national action plan to combat child sexual exploitation in 2001 and anti-corruption initiatives in 2002. Borders are inadequately monitored due to insufficient resources and vast corruption. There is limited cooperation with NGOs that provide services to victims and at-risk women and children.
